Chancellor's Professorships Go to First 14

by Cathy Cockrell

Fourteen distinguished faculty have been named in the first round of appointments to the newly established Chancellor's Professorships. Initiated by Chancellor Tien last spring. The Chancellor's Professorships program will provide $3.6 million to a total of 60 faculty who are identified for "distinguished achievement of the highest level in research, teaching and service."

The professorship program is one of four Bridge Initiatives designed to provide resources for campus priorities until the governor's compact with the university is fully funded. The $3.6 million allocation comes from discretionary money donated to the capital campaign.

"The Chancellor and I are delighted," said Carol T. Christ, the vice chancellor and provost, "that the success of our fund raising allows us to recognize these stellar faculty, who shine in all three of the areas of faculty achievement -- research, teaching, and service."

The first roster of appointees was approved at the end of September and honorees were notified by mail.

"I am of course deeply flattered and honored," said Larry Hyman, professor and chair of linguistics, upon learning of his appointment. The professorship came as a complete surprise to Hyman, who was on sabbatical leave in France during the 1995-96 academic year and had been unaware of his nomination.

Each award carries a stipend of $20,000 a year for each of three years to be used for research and scholarship.

Hyman hopes to use his stipend to support international collaborations with colleagues at the University of Lyon and elsewhere for the ongoing effort to create a Comparative Bantu On-Line Dictionary, an online database of the dictionaries of some 500 Bantu languages of sub-Saharan Africa.

For Judith Klinman, professor of chemistry and cell and developmental biology, the stipend may help fund work on quantum chemistry and on the structure and function of proteins from organisms that live at very high temperatures.

The review process for the professorships is ongoing. Up to six additional appointments will be made this year, followed by up to 20 appointments in 1997 and again in 1998.

Nominations from the College of Engineering are currently being accepted and recipients will be named within the next few months. Nominations are made by department chairs and reviewed by deans and the Budget Committee. Final selections are made by the chancellor and the vice chancellor and provost.